System for speaking hypertext documents such as computerized help files

Abstract

A system for speaking structured files such as computerized help files thereby reducing the amount of on-screen clutter and allowing an operator to receive help while simultaneously viewing the screen generated by a computer application program. In response to commands to process such files, a help engine is instantiated and, in accordance with parameters set by the operator, is set to give spoken help and/or visual help. When giving spoken help, hypertext links to other topics in the structured file are detected and stored, and in response to operator commands, the help engine jumps to those other topics and begins speaking the jumped-to topic. Likewise, as the help file is spoken, the hierarchical structure, if any, of topics in the file is detected and stored and in response to operator commands the help engine jumps to specified topics. Preferably, as the hypertext links and the hierarchical structure are spoken, they are spoken with aural cues such as a voice that is different from the voice used for the remainder of the topic. When other topics are jumped to, those other topics may be spoken in the same voice or in the different voice so as to assist the operator in navigation through the file.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for processing a hypertext file of topics, at least some of the topics including text and at least one hypertext link to a jump topic, comprising the steps of: executing an application program which includes operator-invocable commands to execute a help engine which is settable to provide any one of spoken help, visual help, and both spoken and visual help;   instantiating the help engine in response to operator commands;   displaying topics from the hypertext file of topics in a case where the help engine is set to provide visual help; and   speaking topics from the hypertext file of topics in a case where the help engine is set to provide spoken help, wherein text in the topics is spoken in a first voice, and wherein said at least one hypertext link in the topics is spoken in a second voice which is different from the first voice so as to provide an aural cue that said at least one hypertext link and not text is being spoken.   
     
     
       2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of passing context of the application program to the help engine, wherein in said displaying and said speaking steps, topics are displayed and/or spoken commencing with the context passed from the application program. 
     
     
       3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a graphic user interface by which the help engine is controlled. 
     
     
       4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the hypertext file is arranged hierarchically, and wherein the graphic user interface includes a set of processing commands to process the hierarchical levels of the hypertext file. 
     
     
       5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the set of processing commands includes commands to jump to different topics. 
     
     
       6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the set of processing commands includes commands to jump to different levels. 
     
     
       7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the set of processing commands includes commands to reposition display and/or speaking of the topic. 
     
     
       8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing one of said at least one hypertext link. 
     
     
       9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of jumping to the topic specified by the stored link in response to user jump commands and speaking and/or displaying the jump topic. 
     
     
       10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of returning to the jumped-from topic at the conclusion of the jump topic. 
     
     
       11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the hypertext file is arranged hierarchically, and further comprising the step of detecting and storing the hierarchical structure of topics. 
     
     
       12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of jumping to different topics in the stored hierarchical structure in accordance with operator commands. 
     
     
       13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of speaking the stored hierarchical structure of topics. 
     
     
       14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of jumping to a selected one of the spoken topics. 
     
     
       15. A method for processing a hypertext file of topics, at least some of the topics including text and at least one hypertext link to a jump topic, comprising the steps of: a first speaking step of serially speaking, in a first voice, text in a first topic from the hypertext file of topics;   encountering one of said at least one hypertext link to a jump topic in the file, and speaking the encountered hypertext link in a second voice which is different from the first voice so as to provide an aural cue that one of said at least one hypertext link and not text is being spoken;   jumping to the jump topic specified by the encountered hypertext link in response to a user jump command; and   a second speaking step of speaking, in the first voice, the jump topic.   
     
     
       16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of encountering, while in the jump topic, another of said at least one hypertext link to a second jump topic, and jumping to the second jump topic. 
     
     
       17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of returning to the first topic at the conclusion of speaking the jump topic. 
     
     
       18. A method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of detecting context wherein the first spoken topic is context dependent. 
     
     
       19. A method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of displaying a graphical user interface by which an operator may issue jump commands. 
     
     
       20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said graphical user interface is adapted to receive commands to reposition speaking of the topic. 
     
     
       21. A method of processing a hierarchically-ordered hypertext file of topics, at least some of the topics including text and at least one hypertext link to a jump topic, comprising the steps of: a first speaking step of speaking, in a first voice, text in a first topic from the hierarchically ordered hypertext file of topics;   storing a hierarchical structure of the topics in the file;   a second step of speaking, in a second voice, the stored hierarchical structure of the topics in the file, wherein the second voice is different from the first voice so as to provide an aural cue that the stored hierarchical structure and not text is being spoken;   jumping to a topic specified by the stored hierarchical structure in response to user jump commands; and   a third speaking step of speaking, in the first voice, the jumped-to topic.   
     
     
       22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of jumping from the jump topic to a second jump topic in accordance with the stored heirarchical structure. 
     
     
       23. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of returning to the first topic at the conclusion of speaking the jump topic. 
     
     
       24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of detecting context wherein the first spoken topic is context dependent. 
     
     
       25. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of displaying a graphical user interface by which an operator may issue jump commands. 
     
     
       26. A method according to claim 25, wherein said graphical user interface is adapted to receive commands to reposition speaking of the topic. 
     
     
       27. A method for processing a hypertext file of topics, at least some of the topics including text and at least one hypertext link to a jump topic, comprising the steps of: executing an application program which includes an operator invocable command to execute a help engine which is settable to provide any one of spoken help, visual help, and both spoken and visual help;   instantiating the help engine in response to operator commands;   passing context of the application program to the help engine; and   executing the help engine;   wherein said help engine instantiating step comprises the steps of: a first speaking step of speaking, in a first voice, text in a first topic from the hypertext file of topics;   encountering one of said at least one hypertext link to a jump topic in the file, and speaking the encountered hypertext link in a second voice which is different from the first voice so as to provide an aural cue that one of said at least one hypertext link and not text is being spoken;   jumping to topics specified by said at least one hypertext link in response to user jump commands; and   a second speaking step of speaking, in the first voice, the jumped-to topics.     
     
     
       28. A method according to claim 27, further comprising the steps of encountering, while in the jump topic, a hypertext link to a second jump topic, and jumping to the second jump topic. 
     
     
       29. A method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of returning to the first topic at the conclusion of speaking the jumped-to topic. 
     
     
       30. A method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of returning to the first topic at the conclusion of speaking the jumped-to topic. 
     
     
       31. A method according to claim 27, wherein the hypertext file is arranged hierarchically, and wherein said help engine executing step further comprises the steps of storing hierarchical structure of topics in the hypertext file and jumping to topics specified by the stored hierarchical structure. 
     
     
       32. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of jumping to a different topic in accordance with the stored hierarchical structure of topics. 
     
     
       33. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of speaking the stored hierarchical structure of topics in a voice that is different from the first voice so as to provide an aural cue that the stored hierarchical structure and not text is being spoken. 
     
     
       34. A method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of jumping to a topic in accordance with a selection from the spoken stored hierarchical structure.